Advocacy support
At the SWRC we recognise that abuse and violence can affect every aspect of a woman’s life. Some of these challenges can include finding a place to live, engaging with the police, child welfare, accessing healthcare, getting financial support, among others.
Our Advocacy team is here to support you to overcome the barriers that you may face as a result of this experience.
We offer information, support, and non-legal advice and representation to advocate for your rights and make sure your voice is heard.
What is advocacy and who is it for?
Advocacy helps people express their views and defend their rights. Our advocacy workers will support you in exploring the options available to you so that you can make informed decisions about what is best for you.
This service is for women aged 16 years old and over living in Scotland who have been affected by violence or abuse.
If you want to access support or information from the SWRC your first contact will likely be with a member of our advocacy team.
They staff our non-legal helpline and respond to the emails we receive through our online contact form.
Our advocacy workers will listen and support you to explore the options that are available to you so that you can make informed decisions about what is best for you. They can talk to you about other organisations and specialist services that may be able to provide you with support. They can also put you in touch with a SWRC Solicitor for legal advice where appropriate.
How can advocacy help?
We can help you with the following:
Our advocacy workers work closely with the SWRC Solicitors to ensure that the survivors they are representing have support for both the legal and non-legal aspects of their case.
At SWRC, we recognise that abuse and violence can affect every aspect of your life. Some of these challenges can include finding a place to live, engaging with the police, child welfare, accessing healthcare, getting financial support, among others.
Our Advocacy team is here to support you to overcome the barriers that you may face as a result of this experience.
If your case is taken on by our solicitors for representation, our advocacy team may be able to offer support with the following:
- Explaining legal processes
- Communicating with solicitors
- Support with complaints
- Attending court
- Reporting a crime
- Accessing and engaging with other support services
Explaining legal processes
Communicating with solicitors
Support with complaints processes
Attending court
Reporting a crime
Accessing and engaging with other agencies and support services (housing, benefits, NHS, police, immigration, etc)
If you’re unsure whether we can help, get in touch with us through our helpline (see below) to discuss your circumstances.
Getting advocacy support
SWRC Helpline
If you are looking for support from the SWRC we recommend that you contact us via our helpline. Here you can speak to a member of our advocacy team who will give you space to discuss your circumstances in more detail. They can then provide you with information about your rights and explore your options for support, either from SWRC or an alternative organisation.
Advocacy Support Through Case Work
In some cases, our advocacy team may be able to provide you with longer term support even if you are not being represented by our legal team.
1) Help to find a solicitor
If the SWRC legal team are unable to take on your case, or you need urgent help, we may recommend that you seek alternative representation.
If you’ve never worked with a solicitor before or you are unsure of how to approach one, our Getting Legal Representation guide can be very helpful.
You can also look for a solicitor using our Find a Solicitor tool. Here you can find a list of solicitors who have completed the SWRC Approved Domestic Abuse Training. This training aims to introduce solicitors to domestic abuse legislation in Scotland as well as good practice when working with people who have experienced domestic abuse. You can also find solicitors by visiting the Law Society of Scotland website.
If you have tried the above and are still unable to find anyone to represent you or you require a bit of additional support to contact solicitors, please complete the form below to be considered for Advocacy Take On support.
2) Dual and malicious reporting support
You may be experiencing gender-based violence and have been maliciously reported to the police by your abuser. So instead of being seen as a victim/survivor by the criminal justice system you are instead considered to be the accused. This is known as a dual and malicious report or a counter allegation.
We understand that being wrongfully labelled as a perpetrator of abuse can add to the trauma of what is happening to you. It can also impact on your safety and make it harder for you to access support services.
If you have experienced a dual and malicious report against you and you are looking for more information about your rights and want to be considered for advocacy support, please complete the Advocacy Take On Form below.
3) Help with complaints
You may be considering making a complaint against an organisation such as Police Scotland or Social Services or an educational establishment such as a university or a college because of the way in which they have responded to you as a victim/survivor of gender based violence. You may want more information about the complaints process or some support to submit the complaint itself.
Our advocacy team may be able to offer assistance and if you would like to be considered for this, please complete the form below.
Please contact our Helpline or use our contact form if you would like further information on what our advocacy take on support involves.
Advocacy take on form
The Advocacy Take On Service is currently closed due to capacity. We hope to open again in the New Year.
